Manufacture of pile fabrics



Nov. 8, 1938. e. s. HIERS MANUFACTURE OF FILE FABRICS Filed March 11,1935 Patented Nov. 8, I938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,135,111 7MANUFACTURE or 'rma mimics Glen 8. fliers, Bala-Cynwyd, Pa., asaignor to001- has a Altman Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation ofDelaware I Application March 11, 19:5, sci-aim. 10,405

2 Claims. (01. 91-68) My invention relates to the manufacture of pilefabrics having V-pile tufts looped over the wefts of a loosely wovenbacking during the fabrication thereof and securedto such backing by thel solidification therein of a solidifiable constituent .of an aqueousmaterial applied to the backing to form a layer or bed of binder in thebacking.

My invention involves the elimination or minimizing of the effect ofwater-repellent substances contained in or on the yarns of the backingso as to facilitate and render more uniform the'penetration of theaqueous material into the backing and the yarns of which it is composed.to prevent the formation of a skin coating of binder upon II andseparable from the backing or the yarns thereof, and to preventabsorption of oil or the like from the textile into the binder layer andthereby avoid the partial swelling of the layer of binder from suchabsorption. Such swelling 90 tends to deleteriously reduce the tensilestrength of the binder layer and to reduce the bond between it and thetextile fibres. By my improvements, the tufts and backing yarns are moreeffectually secured relatively to one another with the use of a minimumamount of solidifiable impregnating material and without detracting fromthe textile characteristics of the product.

The water-repellent substances normally present in the fibres, and whichtend to weaken the tensile strength and bond of a binder layer and tocause the formation of a surface skin, may be the natural waxes, oils,pectins or resins present in both animal and vegetable textile fibres ormay be lubricants applied to such fibres in the spinning or processingthereof, and in accordance with my invention such Waxes, oils, resins,pectins, lubricants or other water repellent substances may be removedfrom the yarns after or before the weaving thereof, and may be extractedor neutralized 40 by solvents, absorbents, detergents, scouring, or

reagents selected for their suitability for removing or renderingharmless the particular waterrepellent substance or substances presentin the fibres being treated.

When the water-repellent substances present in the fibres consistprimarily of naturally present or applied oils, greases, waxes, pectinsor resins, it is preferable to effect their removal, prior toimpregnating the fabric, by scouring the yarns or the pile fabric woventherefrom with a detergent solution of soap, ammonia, soda or otheralkali, or with suitable oil solvents, which may be of the chlorinatedtype or emulsified with water to avoid inflammability. During thetreatment of the back of the fabric with the detergent or solvent,

or fibres with detergent or solvent substance, and

in such cases the grease, oil and other waterrepellent media may beremoved and neutralized by the application to the back of the fabric offuller's earth, other absorbent clays, or chemically treated silicatehaving high absorbent power. Such absorbents may be dusted on to theback of the fabric, brushed well into the interstices of the fabric, andthen brushed off. Several applications may be made in this manner untila desired diminution of the content of waterrepellent substance has beeneffected; and where animal and vegetable fibres containing differenttypes of water-repellent substances are incorporated in-the fabric or inthe yarn from which it is made, such fabric or yarn may be subjected tosuch sequential treatments as are necessary to remove, neutralize orunify the effect of the several water-repellent substances contained inthe different types of fibres and render more uniform the absorbent orpermeable properties of. the fibres.

When the water-repellent substances have been eliminated or reduced inamount to a desired degree from some or all of the yarns composing thefabric or from part of each of the elements of yarn composing the fabricand particularly those portions of the yarns contacting with theembedded binder layer, the fabric may be dried be-, fore impregnation,or may be impregnated while still wet, with an aqueous materialcontaining a solidifiable constituent, such as latex, artificial aqueousdispersions of rubber, or synthetic rubber derived from chloroprene oraqueous dispersions of pyroxylin or other cellulose derivatives;

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically anapparatus suitable for the practice of my invention, and Fig. 2illustrates a second form of such apparatus. These apparatuses may beused in sequence or separately and both or either may constitute a unitin a range of plush dyeing andfinishing equipment.

2. a,1as,711

Asillustratedinl'ig. 1 ofthedrawing, acontinuous strip of pile fabric Awoven from yarns containing water-repellent substances and comprisingaloosely woven backing with V-pile tufts looped over: the wefts thereof,is drawn face downward over the rollers l, 2, 3 and 4 and beneath therotary brush which contacts with a fabric section suspended between therollers I and 4 and applies to the back surface of such section apowdered or liquid remover or neutralizer for one or more'of thehydrofuge substances contained in the yarn of which the backing and piletufts are composed. Such remover or neutralizer may be supplied to thebrush I at a ll desired rate through valved discharge ports 6. of asupply reservoir I above the brush. The

remover or neutralizer is worked thoroughly into the fibres of thefabric by the rotation of the brush and any surface excess dischargedfrom ii the fabric into a valved receiver 8. The brushed fabric may bethen passed between rubber covered nip rolls 9 which apply pressure tothe remover or neutralizer and force it into the fabric in intimatecontact with the hydrofuge substances.

85 Any free remover or neutralizer remaining after the passage of thefabric between the nip rolls may be removed by the suction extractorIii.

The fabric may then be passed, if desired, over a second set of rollers3', 4", under the brush 5',

80 and treated with the same or a different remover or neutralizersupplied from the reservoir 1'. This second remover or neutralizer isbrushed into the back of the fabric, the surplus discharged into thereceiver 8' and the impregnated or emas bedded remover or neutralizerpressed into intimate contact with the hydrofuge substances by the niprollers 9'. The free remover or neutralizer remaining after the secondtreatment is evacuated by the suction extractor i0.

In lieu of or in addition to passage through one or more of thedehydrofuging devices shown in Fig. 1, the back of the fabric may besubjected to the action of scouring apparatus such as shown in Fig. 2.In this apparatus, an endless belt I" is passed through a solvent ordetergent emulsion contained in a tank llil provided with guide rollsI02 and nip rolls I03 for translating the belt and squeezing excessliquid therefrom. The belt is guided over rolls I, which may berectilineally o movable, into contact with a section of the back of thefabric A, which may be held flat or curved by card clothing rolls Hi5and plain rolls I06.

The wet belt or apron I00 may be moved longitudinally in eitherdirection, and if desired also moved transversely, in contact with theback of the traveling fabric A, which is continuously scoured thereby.The extracted hydrofuge sub stances are gradually accumulated in thetank MI and may be removed therefrom and the solvent or detergent liquidreplenished as required.

when the hydrofuge substances have been sufllciently removed from thefabric bythe treatment or treatments thereof as above described,

the fabric may be then passed over the rollers 2' and I and over thesurfaces of the steam -heated drums II and II by which any volatilematerial may be driven off and the fabric dried, either wholly orpartially. The passage of the fabric over the drums is controlled by theguides l2, I3, I4 and I5.

After drying, the fabric may have a normal or desired moisture contentimparted to the back, in excess of that contained in the pile tufts, bypassage of the fabric over guide rollers I 6' and through the steam boxIt with the pile face upward and over steam lets l'l. Any tufts whichhave been materially loosened by the treatment for the removal orneutralization of hydrofuge substances are brushed off by the brush II,and slightly loosened'tufts are forced back into posi- 6 tion by theroller l9 and stationary cylinder 20 on opposite sides of the cardclothing roller II.

The card clothing rollers 2i and 22 are provided with wire teeth whichsupport the fabric backing without applying pressure to the cut ends-ofthe 10 pile tufts.

In passing from the card clothing roller II to the card clothing roller12, the fabric passes beneath a blade 23 to which the bane plate 24discharges a layer of uniform thickness of a hydroll sol, suchas latex,containing a solidinable constituent, and is discharged to the bailleplate through cocks 25 of an adjustable reservoir 20. The hydrosol isforced into the yarns and interstices of the fabric by the action of theblade 28 20 and of the roller 21 so as to leave the bights of .the piletufts exposed to form a .nodulous surface imparting to the fabric atextile "feel" and handle. The hydrosol permeates into the backing,without passing therethrough to the pile 25 face of the fabric, and issolidified as a layer lying primarilyin the backing by the passage ofthe fabric through a tenter drier 2| while stretched by the engagementof its selvaga by the pins of tenter chains 29. N

By the steps of removing or neutralizing waterrepellent substances inthe yarns, which for brevity in the claims I have called dehydrofugingthe yarns, I am enabled to secure an intimate contact between thesolidiflable constituent of a hydrosol II and the fibres of the fabricand avoid the forma tion of a surface skin on the yarns or fabric, andto improve the anchorage of the pile tufts to the backing and thebacking yarns to one another, with consequent improvement in thedurability 40 as well as in the appearance of the fabric, uses lessrubber and so economies are effected, better tensiles and elasticitiesare produced due to absence of oil absorption, and better ageingresults.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In the manufacture by a continuous process of an impregnated airpermeable pile fabric having pile elements looped about wefts of aloosely woven backing, said pile elements originally containing waterrepellent bond inhibiting substances, the steps of removing orneutralizing the bond inhibiting substances by local application to thebights of the pile elements and the backing of an inorganic absorbent ofsuch quality that it removes or neutralizes said inhibiting substances,passing the treated pile fabric adjacent to and substantially in contactwith an air extractor employing a current of air which current passesthrough the fabric whereby portions of the bond inhibitor and removerare taken out of the pile fabric and the interstices of the fabric areleft open, brushing the fabric to remove loose pile tufts and forceslightly loosened pile tufts back into the fabric, depositing a uniformlayer of a rubber hydrosol on 65 the back of said fabric, forcing thehydrosol into the fabric, leaving the interstices of the fabric open andthe bights of the pile exposed to form a nodulous surface imparting atextile feel and handle to the fabric, the quantity of hydrosol being 70controlled so that it is substantially confined to the plane of thewoven backing, and setting the hydrosol whereby the pile is adhered tothe backing.

2. In the manufacture by a continuous process 75 of an impregnated airpermeable pile fabric having pile elements looped about wefts of aloosely woven backing, said pile elements originally containing waterrepellent bond inhibiting substances, the steps of removing orneutralizing the bond inhibiting substances by local application to thebights of the pile elements and the backing of an inorganic absorbent ofsuch quality that it removes or neutralizes said inhibiting substances,passing the treated pile fabric adjacent to and substantially in contactwith an air extractor employing a current of air, which current passesthrough the fabric whereby portions of the bond inhibitor and removerare taken out of the pile fabric and the interstices of the fabric areleft open, depositing a uniform layer of a rubber hydrosol on the backof said fabric, forcing the hydrosol into the fabric, leaving theinterstices of the fabric open and the bights of the pile exposed toform a nodulous surface imparting a textile feel and handle to thefabric, the quantity of hydrosol being controlled so that it issubstantially confined to the plane of the woven backing, and settingthe hydrosol whereby the pile is adhered to,the backing.

GLEN SxI-IIERS.

